Peshwari Naan
Peshwari Naan shows that Salsabil is not on her own. National Express does not operate as well as the company wants the public to believe. In this blog Salsabil republishes material that she has found on the internet to demonstrate that she is not the only one who knows just how badly National Express operates it's coach services in the UK.Monday, July 13, 2009
travel rat writes on 10th July 2009...
In the past, I’ve often ranted … nay, fulminated … about the squalid tip that was the Digbeth Street Coach Station in Birmingham. The armpit of the universe, I once called it, a place with all the charm of an abandoned multi-storey car park. A seedy cafeteria, manned by a runny-nosed immigrant who spoke little English, and 20p. to use the toilet.
The only good thing there was ‘Katie’s’, a bright, cheerful pie and sandwich shop just around the corner; truly a rose among the thistles! But, that only catered to the lunchtime trade, and closed about 2 pm.
So, imagine my surprise when my northbound National Express bus pulled into a new facility. A light, airy hall, information boards, a shop and an Upper Crust franchise. Thins were looking up … the only fly in the ointment was you still have to pay 20p. to use the khasi. You could, of course, use the one in the bus before you get to Birmingham … but, try it when the bus is schlepping down the motorway at 60 mph. That’s why most experienced bus-riders keep it for the gravest emergencies.
Pleasant as this is … it’s only temporary, while they build a new, purpose-built coach terminal on the site of the old Digbeth Street terminal. And, if the model in the temporary facility is to be believed, that’s going to be quite something!
On the way home, our coach broke down in Chester. I was impressed with the way the driver dealt with it, and ensured we all got to Birmingham in time to make our connections.
And, here is a picture of our replacement coach … only joking; it just happened to be at the bus stop when we limped in. But, it was working; our state-of-the-art, four year old coach wasn’t … and it is rather good, isn’t it?
nutty al writes on 2nd July 2009...
Travelled to Heathrow on National Express coach with one change in Birmingham. Unfortunately, we had a female member of the Russian Mafia in a seat adjacent to us who made more phone calls on her mobile than I make in months. Felt like taking out the Kalashnikov and giving her a quick burst! Changed seats to get away from her but only managed to find yet another female (Asian this time) who was using TWO mobiles at once....................I give up!!
what would henry rollins do writes on 1st July 2009...
...One the way down I also puked within about 15 minutes of being on the coach, much to the dismay of the girl I was sitting next to. The thing is though, national express coaches are too hot, they have leather seats, and it’s impossible for me to ever be comfortable on a coach seat unless I can put my feet in the aisle, thanks to my freakishly long but sleek, slender, supple legs. And I was sitting in the window seat. Due to this sickness I spent around 10 minutes leaning up against the wall in the toilet, which smelled pretty bad, trying to catch a breeze through an air vent and puking up the contents of my stomach, which at that point was limited to water and bile. The rest of the journey was comparatively ok, but I think the only thing I said for around half an hour was a pathetic, comedic ‘oh god’… I find people’s reactions to their own misfortune are often funnier than the misfortune itself...
In the past, I’ve often ranted … nay, fulminated … about the squalid tip that was the Digbeth Street Coach Station in Birmingham. The armpit of the universe, I once called it, a place with all the charm of an abandoned multi-storey car park. A seedy cafeteria, manned by a runny-nosed immigrant who spoke little English, and 20p. to use the toilet.
The only good thing there was ‘Katie’s’, a bright, cheerful pie and sandwich shop just around the corner; truly a rose among the thistles! But, that only catered to the lunchtime trade, and closed about 2 pm.
So, imagine my surprise when my northbound National Express bus pulled into a new facility. A light, airy hall, information boards, a shop and an Upper Crust franchise. Thins were looking up … the only fly in the ointment was you still have to pay 20p. to use the khasi. You could, of course, use the one in the bus before you get to Birmingham … but, try it when the bus is schlepping down the motorway at 60 mph. That’s why most experienced bus-riders keep it for the gravest emergencies.
Pleasant as this is … it’s only temporary, while they build a new, purpose-built coach terminal on the site of the old Digbeth Street terminal. And, if the model in the temporary facility is to be believed, that’s going to be quite something!
On the way home, our coach broke down in Chester. I was impressed with the way the driver dealt with it, and ensured we all got to Birmingham in time to make our connections.
And, here is a picture of our replacement coach … only joking; it just happened to be at the bus stop when we limped in. But, it was working; our state-of-the-art, four year old coach wasn’t … and it is rather good, isn’t it?
nutty al writes on 2nd July 2009...
Travelled to Heathrow on National Express coach with one change in Birmingham. Unfortunately, we had a female member of the Russian Mafia in a seat adjacent to us who made more phone calls on her mobile than I make in months. Felt like taking out the Kalashnikov and giving her a quick burst! Changed seats to get away from her but only managed to find yet another female (Asian this time) who was using TWO mobiles at once....................I give up!!
what would henry rollins do writes on 1st July 2009...
...One the way down I also puked within about 15 minutes of being on the coach, much to the dismay of the girl I was sitting next to. The thing is though, national express coaches are too hot, they have leather seats, and it’s impossible for me to ever be comfortable on a coach seat unless I can put my feet in the aisle, thanks to my freakishly long but sleek, slender, supple legs. And I was sitting in the window seat. Due to this sickness I spent around 10 minutes leaning up against the wall in the toilet, which smelled pretty bad, trying to catch a breeze through an air vent and puking up the contents of my stomach, which at that point was limited to water and bile. The rest of the journey was comparatively ok, but I think the only thing I said for around half an hour was a pathetic, comedic ‘oh god’… I find people’s reactions to their own misfortune are often funnier than the misfortune itself...
posted by Salsabil # 4:45 PM 
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